From Cumbria with help - for education and business in Pakistan

A team of University of Cumbria staff are using their knowledge exchange skills to support universities, businesses and charities in Pakistan.

Staff at the Ambleside campus are providing master classes in the form of virtual lectures to share their model of knowledge exchange and experiences.

The university has been credited for carving out a niche in knowledge transfer expertise in the UK higher education sector through its work with local Cumbrian businesses.

The series of master class lectures, carried out using video conferencing technology between Ambleside and Islamabad, are aimed at sharing the universities successful knowledge exchange partnerships with a wider audience.

The events have been organised by the British Council to help strengthen higher education in Pakistan and build links between UK and Pakistan universities.

The lectures follow on from the successful CONNECT event held in Pakistan at the end of 2011, where the University of Cumbria International Manager Marion Yates joined Pakistan colleagues in Islamabad, and Pro Vice Chancellor Academic Liz Beaty, via video conference, were guest speakers.

Kashif Khan, an Associate Professor and Director of Industrial Linkages and Collaboration at the Iqra University in Islamabad is just one of the academics who has seen a benefit from the master classes. Kashif said: “We are facing similar kinds of problems in how we link academia with the industry and Cumbria's knowledge enterprise programme is a great example for Pakistani universities which are struggling to develop such initiatives. It's very heartening to see that a successful model has evolved in Cumbria. This is an opportunity for Pakistani universities to develop from core academic institutions and transform into knowledge enterprises.”

Knowledge exchange is the transfer of ideas, research results and skills between organisations. The University of Cumbria currently runs a number of successful programmes which link local businesses with graduates and experts to help complete specific projects.

Over the last ten years the university has worked with nearly 900 businesses in Cumbria and North Lancashire providing short courses, placement, graduate recruitment and business innovation support.

Sarah Stables, Enterprise Manager at the university’s Ambleside campus said: “Working with the British Council has been both a challenge and a privilege.  Many of the universities in the Islamabad region are now establishing knowledge exchange offices and the region has many similarities with Cumbria as it is rural with a high density of Small to Medium Enterprises (SMEs).

“We have shared our experiences over the last ten years with the hope that this will help fast track the growth of knowledge exchange activity and the subsequent economic and social benefits of this activity.”

Jo Chaffer, Development Consultant for the British Council said: “The master class series for practitioners in Pakistan was a pilot for the British Council and it has been an overwhelming success. The video conferencing and the content have worked well and we have been able to work with the similarities and differences of the universities. The friendly and informal approach by the Cumbria representatives was something new for the academics in Pakistan.”

For more information about knowledge exchange at the University Cumbria please contact Sarah Stables or Emma Watton on 015394 30290 or visit www.cumbria.ac.uk/businessandemployers.